Orange Bourbon Glazed Ham

3 kg cooked ham
1 cup orange juice
⅓ cup Maple syrup or Golden syrup
⅓ cup smooth orange marmalade
3 tbsp bourbon
½ tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp SIDS HOT WORCESTER SAUCE
1 heaped tbsp brown sugar
GARNISH:
2-3 sliced oranges
A little Rice Bran Oil for frying orange slices
Rosemary leaves

Preheat the oven to 170°C Remove the ham from the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.
Remove Rind From Ham:
The rind is chewy and gummy and doesn't really get crispy during cooking, so you have to remove it. This will expose the fat layer, which will render off quite a bit during baking and get all sweet, sticky and caramelized. Plus, the glaze will seep into the fleshy part of the ham, which it can't do if the rind is there.
Insert a sharp knife between the rind and the fat and run it along to detach both layers. Then, use your fingers to gently separate the rind from the fat. Simply run the finger under the rind (with some pressure), and it will peel off quite easily. If it gets stuck at any stage, use the knife to detach it. Peel off all of the rind but you can leave some on the narrow, handle part of the leg or shoulder.
Score The Ham:
Score the fat to get a diamond pattern all over the surface. Cut diagonal lines going both ways, making 1-2 cm-wide strips. Most people recommend only cutting through some of the fat but I like to go all the way to the meat so that more glaze can penetrate the ham.
With the ham shoulder, cut off the rounded edge on the front and score the meat for visual effect.
Make The Glaze:
Add all glaze ingredients to a shallow pan or a pot, bring to a boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it’s reduced and thickened.
You have to stir frequently and MAKE SURE you don’t over-reduce it. You want it to be thickened enough to leave a trace on a spoon but not as thick as honey. The glaze will thicken more once it cools down so it can be deceiving while it’s still hot and can be easily over-cooked, giving you a really thick glaze, which will be hard to spread.
You will use this glaze to brush over the ham before and during baking. However, once there are baking pan juices, they will become part of the basting glaze.
Bake & Glaze The Ham:
Brush the ham all over (bottom, top and sides) with the glaze using a pastry brush. Alternatively, use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over. Place in a large baking dish that can catch the juices and place in the oven, on a lower shelf. Don’t place the dish too close to the top grill part of the oven as the ham will burn too quickly.
How Long to Cook a Ham?
This will depend on the size of the ham but generally speaking 1½ to 2 hours is sufficient to heat through the meat and to caramelize and brown the glazed outside of the ham.
Bake the ham for 20-25 minutes to render off some of the fat and to get the pan juices going, then baste with the pan juices and brush with extra glaze every 15-20 minutes, until you reach the total cooking time of about 1½ hours or when the ham looks like it's browned and caramelized all over.
Some of the edges might be more exposed to heat and will darken faster, in which case you can protect those with pieces of foil. Make sure to rotate the ham in the oven every time you put it back to ensure even baking.
Once done, remove the ham from the oven and rest it for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter. Pour all the glaze juices into a bowl or a jug and mix well. Use some to or drizzle brush over the ham once it’s on a serving platter and leave the rest in the jug to serve alongside ham on the table.
Prepare Orange Slices:
While the ham is baking, prepare charred orange slices for garnish. Slice 2-3 oranges into thin slices. Drizzle a large frying pan or a skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the orange slices and cook until charred, about 2 minutes each side. Set aside.
Serve the ham on a big platter with orange slices and rosemary leaves for garnish. Drizzle extra glaze over the top. Slice thinly when serving.
Notes
How much ham per person? Ham is often not the only protein on the table, so most people only have 1-2 slices with a few sides. On average, you’re looking at 100-150 grams of ham per person. So 1 kg of ham should feed between 6-8 people. My recipe is for 3 kg of ham, so 20-22 servings or so. If ham is the only protein on the table, I would recommend about 150 g per person, you can do the math.
Make Ahead Partially – Most glazed hams can be made ahead of time. You can remove the rind, score the fat and make the glaze to store separately and refrigerate until required. Reheat the glaze to thin it out again and bake on the day of serving.
Make Ahead Completely – If you want to make the whole recipe ahead of time, that’s also possible. Once done, transfer the ham to a non-reactive container (like a ceramic dish) and cover its sticky surface with baking paper then wrap the whole ham with foil. Scrape every bit of juice in the pan into a container and mix with any remaining glaze. Refrigerate both for up to 5 days.
Reheating – Remove pre-done ham from the fridge and bring it to room temperature. Reheat the sauce and pour into the pan, place the ham on top. You can add a little orange juice or water to thin out the sauce. Cover loosely with foil and bake in a 160°C oven for 30 minutes. Then, remove foil, baste with glazing juices from the pan and bake for 10 more minutes.
Inspired by Irena Macri at team@cookedandloved.com